Scientists Create Cheaper, More Adaptable Solar Cells Made of Tin

Solar cells made of tin can potentially be more adaptable and simpler to produce than the current technology used in solar power cells today. This appears to be proven in a paper that tries to find alternative solutions to lead perovskites.

It can be noticed that solar cells of lead perovskites are emerging as an "efficient" way to convert sunlight into electricity. However, the reliance on lead is a serious matter on commercialization due to its toxicity.

Scientists Ross Hatton, Richard Walton, and their colleagues appear to have found a solution on the problem with tin. According to the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, their research showed that tin-based perovskites can be more stable than previously thought, and can be a potential replacement for lead perovskites in terms of solar cells.

The lack of lead in solar cells can make them vastly cheaper, safer and commercially attractive to consumers. This can even help it become a leading source of energy in everyday life. 

According to DNA India, tin-based perovskites can also lead to more products such as laptop computers, cars, and mobile phones. 

Hatton and his team also showed that its device structure can be simplified without compromising its performance. This offers a huge advantage because it reduces the cost to replicate the product they want to have. 

According to 3Tags, Hatton said the research was motivated by a growing need to develop more renewable sources of energy. This is also due to man's reliance on fossil fuel, which led to the rapid development of new solar technologies.

Perovskite solar cells are known to be lightweight and compatible with flexible substrates. This means they can be applied more widely than the rigid flat plate silicon solar cells that currently dominate the market. 

This is a good move towards consumers and companies who want to support the move towards solar energy. After all, a lot of countries are opting to drop the usage of coal in a few decades and resort to more viable and renewable sources of energy.